LOS INDIOS — Police Chief Jose De La Rosa’s radar was chirping fast and loud yesterday as he patrolled Military Highway.
The radar was picking up the speed of oncoming traffic traveling as far as 100 yards away and the numbers were climbing and peaking to just less than 70 mph in a 45 mph construction speed zone.
“We need to have people slowing down,” De La Rosa said. “We have issued nearly 150 speeding citations a month in the construction zone.”
He said in one day his department pulled over more than five drivers in less than 20 minutes because they were speeding.
And the department is cracking down on speeders for the safety of the citizens and construction workers widening Military Highway.
De La Rosa said speeding through town has been an ongoing issue over the last several months since road work started in April.
“We have put extra patrol in those areas,” De La Rosa said. “An officer who makes a traffic stop is also watching if the vehicles are following the law.”
Los Indios police first noticed the issue after seeing vehicles were going faster than 60 mph and were not moving over while police were outside their vehicles on traffic stops.
“The law is drivers have to slow down at least 20 mph below the speed limit when an officer is out on a traffic stop,” De La Rosa said.
The Chief said the road improvements have caused drivers to drive faster even though there are 45 mph and construction ahead signs posted on the side of the roadway traveling in and out of town from the east and the west.
“It’s pretty fast,” De La Rosa said. “We have had several major accidents because of the speeding factor.”
Right now, the active construction zones are from Rangerville Road all the way through Blue Town.
De La Rosa said the average ticket for speeding has been for 14 miles over the speed limit.
“People are not realizing that they are speeding,” De La Rosa said. “Our job is not just to give tickets; it’s also to educate drivers of the law.”
